Prisoners of War
by protejerinnocencia
Summary: During WWII, Leo is taken hostage. While in captivity he befriends a stranger. Can she set his destiny back on course in time to save her own future?
1. Caught in the Crossfire

Caught in the Crossfire

The air was oppressive as they moved along the trenches in this foreign terrain. Sweat, from fear, was dripping down his neck as he pressed himself to the ground. He still couldn't get over how much his heart pounded whenever they had to move to a new location. He was young but he had seen his fair share of war-time atrocity, up close and personal. They had stopped now and he leaned against the hard packed dirt.

"Hey Wyatt, you aren't looking so good," Rick called out. Leo turned his head and flashed his friend a weary smile.

"Neither are you," Leo quipped back just as they started to move on.

What felt like hours later they stopped and finally made camp. Leo soon found himself flanked by Rick and Nathan. They'd joined up together back home and had been lucky enough to convince the recruit officer to keep them in the same unit.

"This is some crazy stuff, huh?" Nathan asked around a mouthful of beef.

"Yeah. But we got each other," Rick murmured.

Leo just listened to his friends banter back and forth, trying to find some quiet in his mind. It was not an easy task, especially for a soldier. The sounds of shells and heavy artillery were like a constant roar in his ears. He silently finished his meal and leaned back, staring up at the sky. It looked the same as it did at home. But it felt different. He knew he was in enemy territory and that made the sky seem menacing. The twinkling stars were signs of danger. But it was quiet tonight.

"You look beat, Leo. Maybe you should turn in," Nathan suggested.

"Yeah, maybe," Leo muttered and pushed himself to his feet, heading for the makeshift barracks.

Leo's sleep wouldn't last long. Only a short time after his head had hit the pillow the very real sounds of bombs going off echoed in his ears. He sat up straight and leapt from the bed. His boots were tied and his helmet was on in record time. He appeared in the doorway to see soldiers diving for cover everywhere. Somehow, amidst all of the noise he heard his name.

"Leo!" Rick called, running towards his friend.

"What the hell's going on?" Leo asked.

"We're being ambushed. They need you out in the field," Rick said, breathless.

"Where's Nathan?" Leo asked, worry for his friend becoming overwhelming.

"I'm right here," Nathan called out, approaching the pair from the other side of the barracks. Leo grabbed a medical kit and with a look back at his friends rushed into the danger zone.

"God, I hope he comes back in one piece," Nathan murmured, sounding fearful.

"Just have to pray, brother," Rick answered, pushing his sibling to the ground as planes flew overheard, dropping bombs.

Out in the field Leo was tending to a very bloody soldier. The young man was sobbing uncontrollably, begging for his mother. Leo's heart went out to him. Just as he managed to stop the bleeding from the very large wound on the man's leg, Leo felt a very heavy force come down on the back of his head. His vision blurred and the image of the young man before started to grow hazy at the edges. The wounded soldier looked panic-stricken. That was the last image Leo saw before he succumbed to the painful ache in his head.


	2. Foreign Tongues

Foreign Tongues

He slowly opened his eyes to find it dark around him. His head ached and the last thing he remembered was running out into the field amidst bombs. Leo tried to lift his hands to his face but found them bound together behind his back. He struggled with the restraints, trying desperately to undo them. Suddenly a bright light shown in his eyes and he cringed from the pain that seared through the base of his skull.

"He is awake," a gruff voice muttered, the accent so thick that Leo had to strain his ears to try and understand what had just been said.

The light was turned to the side and Leo was able to open his eyes again. This time he was able make out several figures coming towards him. His heart began to pound. He cringed as he felt a hand clamp down on his arm. The light was thrust onto his army jacket, highlighting the red colored cross on the sleeve. The two soldiers conversed in low tones in rapid German.

"I…I'm a medic," Leo said nervously. Speaking out earned him a slap across the face.

"We use him," another voice grumbled and he was greeted with affirmative nods. The soldier with the flashlight shoved Leo forward and untied the restraints on his wrists. Grateful to be free of the painful ropes, Leo massaged his bruised skin.

"Stand up," the first soldier barked. Leo just looked at him in confusion. The solider made to slap Leo again when his companions simply grabbed Leo by the arms and dragged him to his feet. He was shoved forward and began to walk, following the very grumpy soldier into the next room. He was greeted with several rows of beds. The beds housed soldiers in various stages of recuperation. Leo swallowed anxiously. So this was their plan. At least they weren't going to kill him. Just then a tall man with an angular face and cold, grey eyes approached them. He asked the three soldiers accompanying Leo a question.

"Amerikaner," one of the three men answered. The superior officer nodded and pointed to a bed at the end of the room. Leo was shoved in that direction. With hesitant steps he passed the men in the beds, feeling their glares on his back as he reached the man in the last bed on the left.

Leo surveyed the man. His left arm was oozing with infection and whoever had tended to him before had done a poor job of cauterizing the wound. Leo turned back and was met with the expectant stares of the three soldiers.

"I…need a medical kit," he said as calmly and clearly as he could to make sure they understood what he needed. He slowly bent over the wounded man and tried to unwind the bandage from his arm. The man, not recognizing Leo jumped back and began screaming. The outburst made Leo jump back too, colliding with the superior officer. Before either Leo or the officer could speak, a medical kit was thrust in Leo's direction.

"I'm going to need you to hold him down," Leo addressed one o f the two remaining soldiers. They eyed him suspiciously but did at he asked. Leo carefully began to unwrap the bandage to find that the man's arm was worse off above the elbow than his preliminary glance had revealed. Leo reached into the kit and pulled out some antiseptic and began to apply it to the wound. The man whimpered in pain.

"I'm going to need some hot water to clean this out," Leo said after a moment, not sure who he should be talking to. A few minutes later, a stern faced young woman appeared with a jug of hot water. Slowly, Leo began to pour the water over the wound.

"Ah!" the soldier bawled. Leo glanced at the two men across from him. The tightened their grips on his other arm to keep him still. Satisfied that the wound was now clean, Leo rebandaged it. He knew in the back of his mind what he had to do in order for the man to live but he was scared of having to tell these people, the enemy. He stepped away and turned around to come face-to-face with the officer. He shot a rapid stream of German at the other three.

"He wants to know if he will live," one of the men translated. Leo cleared his throat.

"He needs surgery. His arm…is badly infected. I'm afraid if it's not amputated soon the infection will spread and he'll die," Leo explained as calmly as he could with his heart pumping as if he'd just run a race. The soldier looked taken aback by Leo's answer but relayed the message to the superior officer. The tall man let out a grumble and Leo was unsure what he was going to do. After a brief silence, he nodded and a nurse wheeled the man out of the room. The officer pointed after her and Leo made his way out of the room. Once out of the infirmary, Leo breathed a sigh of relief. The nurse stepped out of another room and Leo began to move towards her.

"I'm to help you," she said, her English less accented than the soldiers.

"Um….ok. The sooner we operate, the better his chances are," he instructed and they both entered the small makeshift operating room.

Leo could smell the strong scent of anesthesia as he donned surgical gloves. He coughed slightly as a bit of the substance filled his lungs. He let out a slow breath as he approached the sleeping man. He instructed the nurse to unwrap the bandage as he grabbed the surgical saw. It didn't look clean at all but he didn't have time to sterilize it. He steadied himself and set the blade on the man's appendage. Fifteen painstaking minutes later the infected part of his arm lay in a pan on the counter and Leo was bandaging the nub that was left. The wound didn't look as good as he would have liked but he had to work with what he had available. The nurse was about to wheel the patient out when Leo noticed that the young man's chest wasn't moving. He felt for a pulse but found none. His medical instincts began to overtake him. He pushed the nurse aside and began to administer CPR but it wasn't working.

"How much anesthesia did you give him?" Leo shouted, sounding distraught.

"Enough to make him sleep," the nurse replied, not liking being yelled at by this American.

"No….no he should have survived," Leo babbled to himself.

Just then the door was thrust open and the burly officer appeared and took in the scene. He addressed the nurse and she answered shyly. The three officers from before appeared and grabbed Leo roughly by the wrists. The officer was shouting at him but Leo had no idea what he was saying. He soon found himself back in the room he'd woken up in. This time they didn't bind his hands. They just threw him in and two of the men stood guard on the outside of the room. He looked around at his surroundings, now that he could properly see them. There were two beds on opposite sides of the room and one of the beds was occupied. Slowly Leo inched his way closer. He was about to place a hand on the other occupant when she sat up. Leo jumped slightly at her sudden movement.

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you," she said apologetically.

"You speak English?" Leo rasped.

"Um…yes," she answered.

"Looks like we'll be sharing close quarters huh?" she asked after a brief silence. Leo nodded, beginning to pace. She tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear, a nervous habit she'd picked up as a child. She cleared her throat and Leo stopped pacing.

"You have a name?" she questioned.

"Leo. Leo Wyatt," Leo introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you, Leo. I'm Melinda, Melinda Halliwell," Melinda responded, shaking his hand.


	3. Secret Prisoner

Secret Prisoner

Melinda let go of Leo's hand. She couldn't believe how young he was. She scooted over on the hard bed and he sat down, resting his head against the wall. Slowly, he turned his gaze to look at her more closely. She was pretty with a fair complexion and soft dark brown hair.

"How'd you end up here?" she asked softly.

"We…were being ambushed and I was tending to a wounded soldier out in the field. Someone came up from behind and knocked me out," Leo answered.

"I don't even know if the guy I was working on lived or not," he muttered, a wave of guilt overtaking him.

"I'm so sorry," Melinda murmured, placing a comforting hand on his arm.

"What about you?" he asked. She averted her gaze and took a piece of hair to twirl between her fingers.

"I was just…in the wrong place at the wrong time I guess," she answered vaguely. The pair drifted into silence. Melinda's mind wandered back to that morning when her plan was put in motion.

_2025_

Melinda hurried down the stairs as she heard voices coming from the kitchen. She stopped short of the last few steps and sent an astral projection ahead of her. She'd catch up in a minute.

"Somebody's getting lazy," Chris snickered as Melinda's astral self appeared.

"Oh shut up," she shot back with a smile.

"He's right you know," Wyatt teased.

"Thanks for ganging up on me, losers," Melinda grumbled just as her real self caught up, causing her astral self to disappear.

"We love you, Mel. You know that," Wyatt assured her, giving her a bear hug.

"Can we please keep me in one piece," she asked as she tried to wiggle out of his grasp. Wyatt laughed but let her go. He knew this was a very important day. Just then the smoke alarm started going off as black clouds billowed from the oven. Melinda rushed over and pulled the oven door open, coughing as she inhaled the smoke.

"Who burned the muffins?" she coughed.

"That would be Wyatt," Chris called, nearly dodging a smack upside the head.

"I did not burn the…oh…ok…so I did…sorry," Wyatt began but apologized when he saw the very sorry state they were in.

"Good thing Mom didn't see this," Chris commented as he helped his siblings toss the charred muffin remains in the trash.

"So…what am I supposed to eat then?" the twenty-year-old whined. She couldn't do this on an empty stomach. She had no idea when her next meal would be served. Chris looked around pulled open the fridge, grabbing items and setting them on the counter. He ended up with eggs, bacon, cheese and mushrooms.

"Omelets," he announced. Wyatt and Melinda watched as the middle child expertly made three omelets in under ten minutes. The three siblings enjoyed the meal in silence. They didn't know what to say to each other. What Melinda had to do was dangerous and there was no guarantee she would come back. That part scared them all. They hadn't told Piper yet. They couldn't break it to her. She'd be heartbroken.

"So are you nervous?" Wyatt asked as he began washing the dishes.

"Honestly, very. I mean…1942 was a really scary year in Dad's life. He enlisted and then he died," she answered.

"You know…you don't have to go. One of us can do it," Chris offered.

"No, Chris. I can do this. I need to do this. Besides, you two would be too eager to show off your powers," she retorted.

"I just don't want to lose both of you," Wyatt said, placing a wet hand on her shoulder.

"Well…I'll do my best to make sure we both survive," she promised. She shrugged his hand off and dried to dry her shirt.

"You don't have to prove yourself to us, Mel. We know you have power. You're a Halliwell for Christ sake," Wyatt tried with another attempt to stop her from going.

"Yes I do, Wyatt. Maybe not to you or Chris but to myself…and to Mom. I need to show myself that I can save an innocent on my own without exposing magic," Melinda expounded firmly.

"Ok, ok. We get it. You want to go," Chris grumbled.

"So can we please just do this?" she begged. The sooner she got back, the sooner she would be able start figuring out how she was supposed to make her plan work. Her brothers nodded and they headed up to the attic. They had almost shut the door when Piper appeared at the landing.

"What are you three doing?" she asked, knowing that all three of them going up to the attic together was never a good sign.

"I'm not telling her," Chris murmured. Wyatt glared at his younger brother. Being the oldest he was going to have to take it upon himself, again, to tell their mother what was going on.

"Melinda is just taking a little trip but she'll be back," he called down the stairs. He turned and mouthed the words 'triquetra draw' to his siblings. They immediately picked up chalk and began to draw the Wiccan symbol on the wall.

"Trip? What kind of trip? Where? Why didn't I know about this?" Piper questioned, starting to come up the stairs.

"It's nothing really. Just to visit some old Magic School friends in Australia. We just needed to get some suitcases from up here," Wyatt lied. He glanced over his shoulder to see Chris give him the 'ok' sign that the portal was finished. Melinda was rifling through a box of old clothes, trying to pull an outfit together that would fit the time period and give the impression that she was in the war. She pulled on the baggy pants and boots. Chris tossed her a shirt and belt and she hurriedly put it on.

"How do I look?" she asked in a hushed voice as their mother's footsteps continued up the stairs.

"Like you're ready to kick some demon ass," Chris answered. Wyatt was getting nervous now.

"Which friends is she staying with? For how long?" Piper continued grilling her oldest child.

"I don't remember their names. I think its for like a week or two," Wyatt answered as Chris began flipping through the Book of Shadows to find the time travel spell.

"Do we have the one to get me back in time?" she asked as she joined him.

"Yeah. I wrote it down for you already," her older brother answered, handing her a slip of paper. She concealed it in a pocket of her pants.

"Hurry it up," Wyatt hissed. Melinda pushed Chris out of the way and began to chant the spell.

"Here these words, here the rhyme. Heed the hope within my mind. Take me back to where I'll find what I wish in place and time," she said in a whisper and the portal.

"I love you guys," she mouthed and jumped through the portal. Chris had enough time to shut the book and orb the triquetra off the wall before Piper entered the room.

"She left already?" Piper murmured, sounding disappointed.

"She was running late. She said that she loves you and she'll see in a few weeks," Chris fed into Wyatt's lie. She eyed her sons suspiciously but couldn't figure out what they weren't telling her. She just nodded and headed back downstairs. Once she was gone, Wyatt and Chris breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"That was way too close," Chris sighed.

"Yeah. I didn't think you'd get everything done before she got up here," Wyatt mused.

"I just hope she knows what she's doing. I don't know if her magic is going to work," the older voiced.

"Well with that spell it should preserve all of her powers," Chris assured his sibling. It had when he had gone back to the past.

Melinda was pulled from her reverie when the door to their cell was opened and a tray was tossed in. The guard looked in to see Melinda and muttered something to his companion. Shortly another tray was thrown in and the door was slammed shut. Melinda got up and poked at the food. It didn't look all that appetizing.

"Doesn't this look….disgusting," she commented.

"At least they're feeding us," Leo stated, picking up a tray and sitting back down. Melinda joined him but only picked at the food. She was still thinking about the fact that her mother had no idea where she was. She allowed a single tear to roll down her cheek. Leo noticed it and put his tray on the bed.

"Are you ok?" he asked, placing a gentle hand on her forearm.

"Yeah…I just…miss my Mom. She doesn't know where I am, you know, "Melinda answered. It was mostly the truth. Piper didn't know where Melinda was. Leo said nothing. He just pulled her into a hug. He felt like he had to protect her. It wasn't just because she was a woman. He felt drawn to her.


	4. Background Noise

Background Noise

The pair had turned in early, having nothing else to do but sit around and stare at the blank walls. With the absence of windows, neither prisoner had any sense of what time of day it was. Leo rolled over and nearly fell out of the bed. He caught himself just in time. The rather loud grunt that issued from his mouth however, didn't disturb Melinda in the slightest. Leo slowly sat up and tried to get his vision in focus. His retinas finally adjusted to the lack of light and the young woman across from him came clearly into view. She looked peaceful in spite of their current predicament. Melinda stirred slightly in her sleep, sending the stiff blanket to the floor. As if drawn by some invisible string, Leo started to move towards her until he reached the other side of the small room. He bent down and picked up the coarse material. Just as he laid it back over her body, her eyes shot open.

"Leo, you scared me," the twenty-year-old mumbled, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Sorry…you looked cold," Leo answered, flashing her a smile. Melinda gave him a small smile back and ran a hand through her hair.

"Well they definitely make it clear they don't want you to be comfortable," she grumbled, stretching her back, several vertebrae cracking back into place.

"It's a war. No one is comfortable," he commented. Just then the door was pulled open and two of the guards from the day before walked in, both hoisting guns on their shoulders. One of the men looked between the two captives.

"Badezimmer," he snapped. Leo looked confused but Melinda bolted from the bed, looking very eager. Leo stood as well and grabbed Melinda by the wrist.

"Finally," Melinda sighed, starting to follow one of the guards out of the room.

"What did he say?" Leo whispered.

"Bathroom," she muttered back as they were led down a hallway and to two adjoining rooms. There were crude figures scratched on the door.

"Five minute," the second guard ordered. Both Melinda and Leo rushed in, grateful for the use of the facilities. Melinda stared into the cracked mirror and smoothed her hair. It was then that she realized she had called her father by his first name without so much as a pause of hesitation. Perhaps this was going to be easier than she had thought. She just hoped she'd get back in one piece. She was about to turn from the reflective surfaced when one of the guards banged on the door. She rolled her eyes and pulled open the door. She and Leo were promptly escorted back to their cell.

"You know German?" Leo questioned as soon as the door was slammed shut.

"I know enough to get by," she answered with a shrug.

"Maybe you can teach me," Leo asked, sounding hopeful.

"I don't think you'll have a problem picking it up from those lug heads," she commented with a chuckle.

"I was just trying to think of something we could do to occupy ourselves, he murmured.

"Sorry…I guess I'm just stressed a little," she sighed.

"They're not going to hurt you," he promised, gripping her hand.

"I know. Thanks for trying to protect me. It means a lot," she assured him.

"I grew up with two brothers. I can fend for myself," she expounded. She had to be careful what she said. She didn't want to change the future too much.

They fell into silence as Melinda tried to calm the worry that was growing within her. She felt bad that Wyatt and Chris had lied to Piper. She knew how freaked out her mom could get. Leo was pacing back and forth, his hands shoved in his pockets. He felt powerless in this situation. He couldn't figure out why they had taken him. Sure he had tried to save that man's life but it wasn't his fault he'd died.

"Hey, Leo," Melinda called after the silence started to ring in her ears.

"Huh?" he murmured, stopping his circle pattern of the room.

"Want to talk?" she asked, sounding hopeful. He nodded and sat down next to her.

"So…where are you from?' she asked.

"California….the San Francisco area actually. I was in med school before me and a couple buddies of mine joined up," Leo answered. Melinda couldn't help but smile. She had always loved it when he'd told her war stories as a child. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You just reminded me of someone," he chuckled.

"Yeah? Who?" she pried.

"Lillian," he answered. She looked confused. She had no idea who that was. She was pretty sure her father didn't have any siblings.

"She's my wife," he explained at her confused expression. Her heart sunk. She didn't know her father had been married before.

"Oh," was all she could manage to get out. He sensed her disappointment and moved a little closer to her.

"I suppose I should have told you yesterday," he apologized.

"No really…it's fine. I just…didn't think you were married is all," she said, cutting off his apology. She couldn't really think he never had a life before becoming a whitelighter could she?

"We got married in 1940, in December," he expounded, immediately realizing she probably didn't want to hear about his marriage. He got the feeling that she had some connection to him.

"I hope you make it home to her," Melinda murmured after a few minutes.

"Me too," he agreed.

"So what about you? Where are you from?" he asked, turning the twenty questions feeling back on her.

"San Francisco too," Melinda replied, leaning against the wall.

"I haven't seen a lot of women out in the field. Except a nurses. What regiment are you in?" he commented.

"Well…I kind of snuck in…my parents don't know I joined up. I swore my brothers to secrecy. I knew my mom would freak out if she found out," she explained. There was no need to tell Leo that her brothers were older.

"I would think you would have wanted stay in the US. War isn't for women," he stated, looking at her disappointedly.

"Are you saying women can't do anything men can?" she shot back, jumping to her feet. This wasn't her father. He didn't believe that male superiority crap.

"No. Just…it's too dangerous," he answered.

"Sorry but I don't believe that. And neither does my father," she snapped back. She immediately regretted it.

"You father would be ok with you going off to war without any word?" he accused.

"Yeah he would. Because he knows its to serve the Greater Good, to save innocent lives," she answered heatedly. She turned her back on him and crossed her arms. She hoped that dying and becoming a whitelighter is what had changed his attitude. If it was just the timer period, she was glad that she didn't grow up in it. It was so oppressive.

"Well that's why I'm fighting…to save lives," he mumbled.

"Not if you don't get out of here soon," she muttered under her breath.

"What?" he asked. She just shook her head.

"Nothing, just forget it," she told him. She was going to go crazy stuck in this little room. She had to get her father out of here. The faster she got him back on track with his destiny, the sooner she could get back to her time and make sure Piper didn't kill all three of them. Subconsciously, her hand drifted to the pocket where the return spell was tucked safely. She had to start planning.


	5. Sickly Sweet

Sickly Sweet

A week had passed and Melinda was starting to grow restless. She wanted to get her father out of this shit hole. She was managing to stay alive and so was Leo but he was getting a little thin. He was lying on his bed, head resting atop his arms. His blue eyes were closed. She was starting to get nervous.

"I'm going to get you out of here, Dad," she whispered to the quiet air. She had done well, managing to call him by his first name. She now understood how hard it had been for Chris. And she only had to remember one person. He had to watch himself around four people. She was about to lay down when Leo started to cough. His arms flew from behind his head and he sat up, gasping for breath. Melinda rushed to his side.

"Are you ok?" she asked, patting his back gently to try and ease the hacking. It took him a few minutes to regain his breath to speak.

"I…think so. No idea where that came from," he answered, his chest heaving rapidly.

"Well these aren't the best health conditions," she commented, giving him a weak smile. She didn't say anything else. The twenty-year-old was hoping that the cough was nothing more than just a tickle.

"I know. I'm sure I'll be fine," Leo answered just as another round of coughs issued from his chest. His eyes closed as he tried to stop the rattling pains.

"Easy. Just take slow breathes," Melinda coached. Five painstaking minutes later he was taking ragged short breaths.

"Maybe you should walk around. It might loosen up whatever's in there," she suggested. He nodded and stood up, beginning to walk the perimeter of the room. He had circled the room twice when the door opened the two guards grunted at them. They'd learned that meant it was time for a visit to the bathroom. Leo protectively draped an arm around her shoulders as they walked down the hallway. It was beginning to feel familiar. They both walked in. Melinda splashed some lukewarm water on her face and dried her hands on her pants. She walked out and the two Germans just looked at her. One of the soldiers took a step closer to her and placed a hand on her arm, clamping down. The other prisoner wasn't there to protect her.

"Berühren Sie mich nicht," she snarled at the soldier. He looked confused but released her. It had been five minutes and Leo still wasn't out. She stepped towards the door and could hear the faint sounds of heaving. She made to pull open the door when the other guard started to grab her.

"Oh hell no," Melinda hissed and threw a hand out, freezing them both. She opened the door and found Leo on his knees, hugging the toilet. She bent down and held his head as he emptied the contents of his stomach. Some minutes later she was splashing cool water on his face.

"They let you in?" he rasped, his throat like sand paper from the vomiting.

"Shh. Just relax," she ordered, using a piece of fabric she'd torn from her shirt to cool his head. He was burning up.

"I…need a doctor," he said as firmly as he could. She realized that she was going to need the guards' help. She rolled her eyes and discreetly unfroze the guards. They rushed towards the pair on the floor but she stopped them with a 'don't you dare' glare.

"Doktor. Er braucht einen Doktor," she demanded. The two guards looked at each other and then back to Leo. One took off at a jaunt while the other stood watch over the prisoners. The nurse that had helped Leo with the surgery appeared. She looked nervously down at the American doctor. Melinda could sense her fear.

"You are going to make him better," the girl growled as two more men appeared and lifted Leo onto a bed. Melinda was by his side, her hand clasped around his. He looked at her, panic in his eyes.

"Don't let them kill me," he begged.

"They're not going to hurt you. I promise," she whispered, stroking his burning cheek. She was separated from him as he was rushed into the operating room. She stood there, fear settling in. This could be it. This was definitely it…what she was supposed to stop. She had to make sure he would get better. She'd have to employ some magic to get the job done right. She needed to think. Most of all she really needed a pen and a piece of paper. She hadn't worked on conjuring anything lately but she figured if she focused hard enough she could do it. Just then she was escorted back to the cell. For the first time all week she was glad to be alone. She sat in the middle of the floor and closed her eyes, concentrating. Suddenly a pen and paper appeared in her hands. She couldn't help but smile.

"Time to make you better, Dad," she spoke aloud and got to work.

In the operating room, Leo's breathing was coming in short gasps as the nurse started an IV of penicillin. She had to save this man. The woman scared her more than the officers here. She could sense there was something powerful about the young woman. She grabbed a cloth and dipped it in cool water, placing it on his forehead. Leo looked at her.

"Please…don't let me die," he gasped before he lost consciousness. There was nothing else she could while he slept. She hoped that perhaps some sleep and a good meal would do him some good.

Night soon took over and Melinda had a spell worked out. She'd also had some time to come up with a plan of escape. As soon as Leo was better, which with any luck would be tomorrow, she was getting them out there. She knew time travel was complex but she knew time was passing in 2025. She knew her brothers could only keep up the lie for so long before Piper saw right through it. And when that happened, there was going to be hell to pay.

"Time to get you better," Melinda announced. She stood up, gripping the spell tightly in her hand. She had to time this perfectly. She was fairly certain they wouldn't have anyone on the inside of the room watching Leo. She concentrated and astral projected herself into the room. She was correct; no one was in the room. She saw a shadowy figure through the window in the door but did not worry about him. All she needed to do was recite the spell and she would be gone. She placed her hand atop his and gazed down at the paper.

"I call upon the Warren line, to help me in this darkest time. Remove from him what causes strife. Take this sickness and restore his life," she recited. Leo glowed brightly and once the light subsided he looked a lot more peaceful. Melinda gently felt his forehead and the fever had broken. His breathing was also less rattled. It had worked. She smiled as her astral self disappeared. She had saved him from dying here. Next she had to get him out. Then and only then would he be clear and back on his destiny.


	6. Sweet Freedom

Sweet Freedom

The following morning Leo woke up feeling rejuvenated. He sat up and jumped off the bed. He felt better than he'd felt in months now that he thought about it. He looked around, slightly confused. The night before he could have sworn he felt Melinda in the room with him.

"Yeah, right," he murmured to himself. The guards would never let her in to see him. Just as he stretched the door opened and the nurse walked in. She looked surprised but the shock was soon replaced by relief. Everyone would be happy.

"You feel better?" she asked. Leo turned to her and nodded.

"Yes. Thank you," he said politely. She had after all saved his life. One of the guards appeared behind the nurse and seeing that Leo seemed to be well again, motioned for him to follow. The nurse moved out the way and watched as Leo traipsed after the guard. He wasn't happy to be going back into the cell but at least he wasn't vomiting or sweating bullets. He found Melinda to be sleeping peacefully on the floor, the pillow and blanket from her bed supporting her. The slamming of the door jolted her awake.

"Why are you sleeping on the floor?" he asked, sitting down next to her.

"You're better!" she exclaimed and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Yeah…I am," he replied, embracing her as well.

"I must have been dreaming last night. I don't know…maybe it was the fever but I could have sworn you were in there with me," he sighed after a minute.

"Heh, really? Some dream. It must have been the fever," she giggled. He smiled at her. Not only was his body feeling better but so were his spirits. Melinda could feel the boost in his energy and his aura. This was very good. He would need to be feeling good in order to get out of here.

"I've been doing some thinking," she blurted, catching him off guard.

"About what?' he inquired.

"We're going to break out of here and get you back to your regiment," she said boldly.

"Melinda, are you crazy. There's no way we could ever get past all of those guards and soldiers. They'd kill us before we even found the exit," Leo railed.

"No…they wouldn't. Trust me…I've been thinking about this for a while. I know a way that we can get out," Melinda assured him, sitting up. Leo looked skeptical.

"I don't know. How could we possibly get out safely without them taking us town?" he questioned.

"Listen very closely. We need to make sure we both understand what's going on in order for this to work," she explained, motioning for him to come closer.

"I'll lure the guards in here. Be ready to knock them out. We'll steal their coats and their guns and sneak out. I think I have figured out where the exit is," she began.

"Wait…how do we know the guards won't wake up before we get out?" he interrupted.

"We don't. We have to move quickly. And we have to try not to look too suspicious," she answered.

"You really think this will work?" he asked, almost laughing.

"Well I haven't actually done it so I don't really know," she retorted, flashing him a smile.

"Just one more question," he spoke up.

"What do I know them out with?" he concluded. She got up and rummaged under her bed. She concentrated and with some careful maneuvering conjured an iron rod. She pulled it out.

"I found it before they brought me back here yesterday," she lied. She couldn't risk showing him her magic. He wasn't supposed to know magic existed, not until after he died. She handed the rod to him and headed for the door.

"You ready for this?" she asked. He nodded, hiding out of sight of the door. Melinda began to bang loudly on the door until it was pushed open and one of the guards poked his head in. She grabbed him by the front of his shirt and dragged him in. Noticing his comrade had disappeared, the second guard followed him in. Leo stepped from behind and knocked him unconscious. Melinda had managed to subdue the first guard and pulled his jacket off.

"Hurry, come on," she urged as Leo grabbed the second guards jacket and gun.

They slipped from the cell and carefully began to walk the familiar path towards the bathrooms. As discreetly as she could, Melinda astral projected herself further ahead to make sure they were going the correct way. Astral Melinda pressed herself against a wall as a couple of soldiers walked by. They didn't seem to notice her. Breathing a sigh of relief she continued on, her psychic link providing a sort of map for the real Melinda.

"Wait…I hear something," Melinda whispered and grabbed Leo by the sleeve. They held their breath as the same soldiers walked by, presumably on their way to a meal. One of the soldiers turned his head and caught sight of the two escaping prisoners. He didn't recognize them as most of the soldiers hadn't seen the two Americans. They'd been kept under tight lock and key. He just raised an eyebrow before continuing on. Astral Melinda felt the pressure her real counterpart was feeling. Once she made sure the coast was clear, she was reabsorbed. Melinda began to creep down the first all on the right until they reached another juncture.

"Which way?" Leo whispered, hearing hurried footsteps approaching them. Melinda looked each of the three ways. She couldn't tell which was the right way. She closed her eyes. Trying to concentrate and find the exit. She finally opened her eyes and headed down the left corridor, Leo hot on her heels. Lucky for them they were approaching the exit.

"Escape! The prisoners escape!" a voice rang out in accented German. Leo froze. Apparently they hadn't subdued the guards well enough.

"Go. The exit is right up there. I'll take care of them," Melinda ordered, shoving Leo towards the end of the corridor.

"I can't leave you here," he protested.

"You won't. I promise. I'll just…cover us from behind," she said and shoved him some more. Leo sprinted towards the exit just as a group of soldiers appeared, all of them pointing their guns at the retreated duo. Melinda gave them a smile and flipped them off before freezing them. She heard the door behind her open and Leo's voice calling out for her.

"Melinda, come on! They're coming," he shouted. She sprinted towards him and just as she slipped out the door, threw her hand back and unfroze the soldiers. Leo was smiling wildly. He couldn't believe they'd made it. Melinda could read her father's expression.

"Don't celebrate yet. We're still in enemy territory," she said and began running towards the west which was lined by trees. Leo looked around. The area seemed vaguely familiar to him. He could have been mistaken but he was sure he'd been here recently.

"Melinda…I get the strange feeling that I've been here before," Leo called after her. Melinda tried to hide the smile on her face. She knew that this was where Her father was supposed to die. She looked around and spotted army barracks further down the tree line. There appeared to be a large space between where they were and where the barracks were.

"Let's keep moving. I get the feeling that's the side we want to be on," she said and the began making their way slowly across the barren terrain. Several hours later they reached the other side and were met at gunpoint by none other than Rick and Nathan.

"Guys…relax…it's Leo," Leo said, trying to get them to lower their weapons. Melinda realized what was wrong and tossed the gun and German army coat. She nudged Leo and he followed suit. Rick took a step closer to the pair and smiled.

"Man, it is you. Where the hell have you been? We've been worried," Rick questioned.

"Uh…spent some quality time with the Germans," Leo answered, trying to brush it off.

"You ok?" Nathan probed.

"Yeah…I'm fine. They were rude but I mean they didn't kill us so that's really all we can ask for," he answered.

"Who's the girl?" Rick whispered, nodding his head in Melinda's direction.

"Someone who isn't interested," Melinda interjected, walking past the three men.


	7. Web of Lies

Web of Lies

Almost two weeks had gone by and Melinda had not returned to the future. Chris and Wyatt were starting to get worried. What was worse was Piper was growing ever more suspicious of them. The two brothers were currently pacing around each other in the kitchen. Piper and Leo had gone out grocery shopping.

"I'm getting worried about her. I mean…she should be back by now. All she had to do was get him out of there and back to his unit. That's alls he had to do," Wyatt railed.

"I'm just as worried as you. But there has to be a reason she hasn't come back. Maybe she can't anything to draw the portal on," Chris suggested. He stopped pacing and leaned against one of the chairs around the kitchen table.

"I just don't like it. Mom is going to find out sooner or later that we lied to her and she's going to be really pissed," Wyatt muttered. He continued walking, it helped him to think. They fell into silence and then Wyatt disappeared in orbs. Chris followed him, finding him in the attic. He had a piece of chalk in hand.

"No you don't," Chris shot and sent the chalk across the room.

"What the hell is your problem?" Wyatt snapped.

"You're not going back. We have to let her do this on her own. We need to show her that we believe in her," Chris countered.

"I just want to get her back safely. Is that so wrong?" Wyatt protested.

"No it's not. But we can't interfere. She'd never forgive us," Chris commented. Just then the front door opened and footsteps echoed on the floor.

"Wyatt, Chris. Can you help with the groceries?" Piper bellowed, her voice ringing throughout the whole house.

Both boys disappeared in blue and white orbs, appearing downstairs. Wyatt took the bags from Piper's arms and set them on the table. Chris dove into the bags, starting to orb food into cabinets and the fridge. Wyatt caught his brother's eye and gave him a look that said "slow down, moron. The longer it takes the longer we can avoid her asking about Melinda'. Chris huffed but started taking things out of bags and placing them in their place. Piper caught the look that was exchanged between her sons and she stopped what she was doing.

"Ok, what's going on? You two are acting even stranger than usual," she stated.

"Thanks Mom," Chris muttered.

"It has to do with your sister, doesn't it," she accused them. Wyatt and Chris exchanged another glance.

"So much for your lame avoidance technique," Chris grumbled in Wyatt's ear.

"Mom seriously there is nothing to worry about. She's fine. She'll be home in a couple days, I'm sure," Wyatt assured her. He was trying to allay his own fears.

"See, I can tell when you're lying. So you're going to tell me what is really going on here," Piper demanded.

"Honey, can we at least get the rest of the groceries put away" Leo asked. Piper sighed but nodded. The three Halliwell men finished unpacking and storing the rest of the food. Piper watched, arms crossed over her chest. She didn't like it that her children were lying to her. She thought she had raised them better than that. Once they had finished she ushered them into the sun room.

"You're going to tell us what is really going on. No lies," Piper demanded. Chris leaned back on the couch and took a deep breath. He figured he should start.

"Melinda didn't really go to Australia to see friends from Magic School," he began.

"Clearly," Piper grumbled.

"She…went back in time," Wyatt interjected.

"What?" Piper and Leo exclaimed in unison.

"How far back in time?" Leo probed.

"To 1942," Chris replied.

"Why…would she do that?" their father asked, starting to pace.

"She went back to save you, Dad," Wyatt answered.

"Save him…from what?" Piper demanded to know. Before either Wyatt or Chris could answer, Leo sat down in a chair, looking flabbergasted. He had a very bad…very sinking feeling about this.

"When I got captured by the Germans," Leo offered, his voice coarse.

"Yeah…she needed to get Dad out of there because if he died in captivity he would never have become a whitelighter…and then…none of us would exist," Wyatt expounded.

"She went back to save the entire family, Mom. She went to save our existence and your and Dad's love," Chris added.

"You couldn't have told me this from the beginning?" their mother asked, suddenly finding it hard to breathe.

"Well…we knew you wouldn't want her to go," Wyatt answered.

"That's not true. I would like to know when one of my children is going to possibly be sacrificing themselves for this family," she stated.

"Piper…they were only trying to keep you from worrying yourself to death," Leo commented.

"Do you remember anything about this…captivity?" Piper asked of her husband.

"Just that it happened…and somehow I managed to escape. A couple days later I died," Leo answered.

"God I hope she gets back soon," Chris murmured.

"What if…she…doesn't come back," Piper whimpered, breaking into tears.

"She's still alive, Mom. One of us would feel it if she was dead," Chris assured her, wrapping a protective arm around her shoulders.

"It's not like we haven't gone back in time before," Wyatt commented.

"Uh, dude. Last time I went back for a long period of time…I died," Chris hissed at his brother. He could understand his mother's fears. He shared them wholeheartedly.

"Piper…have a little faith in our daughter. She's strong…she's a Halliwell. She can get through this," Leo assured her. He felt a sense of peace knowing his baby girl had gone back to save him. He knew now that it had been her perseverance and her magic that had gotten him out alive and back to his regiment.

"I just don't want to lose my baby," Piper sniffled. Wyatt got up from his seat on the couch and wrapped an arm around his mother as well. Leo completed the family hug and Piper started to laugh a little.

"No need to suffocate me," she chuckled lightly. Leo placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"We'll see her soon," he whispered to her.


	8. Death and Life

Death and Life

A day had passed since Melinda and Leo had met up with his regiment. She'd only gotten hit on a few times by Rick and Nathan. She'd had no problem telling them off. She was starting to get worried. Melinda knew this was getting very close to the day her father died. She needed to get back to her own time before she got herself blown up. She walked out of the makeshift tent she'd made for herself and spotted Leo. She checked her watch and realized that she had less time to get out of here than she thought. Today was the day

"Hey Leo," she called out, jogging towards him.

"Morning, Melinda," he greeted her. She took a deep breath. She was torn. She knew she couldn't save her father from dying today. It was his destiny but she didn't want him to die alone.

"I have a sort of strange request," she began, fidgeting with the pocket of her pants.

"What is it?" he replied.

"Do you have any chalk?" she asked. She was going to need find a solid surface to draw the portal. She was considering the inside of her tent. It should work, right?

"Chalk? I don't think so. Why?" he answered.

"I just…need some is all," she muttered. This was going to prove harder than she had thought. She only hoped she didn't get stuck in the past. How awkward would that be? He scratched his head and looked around.

"What do you need it for?" he probed.

"I can't tell you. I'm sorry," she apologized and headed off back to the tent. Maybe she could conjure some chalk. She disappeared behind the flap of the tent and within a few minute she had chalk. She began to try and draw on the canvas but found it nearly impossible.

"Ok, Melinda…improvise," she instructed herself.

"To help me get back home, make this tent hard as stone," she chanted. It was lame but it worked. Just as she was finishing there were footsteps outside the flap and Leo poked his head in. Melinda dropped the chalk and looked paralyzed. He was eying the triquetra.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I…uh…" she trailed off. She couldn't reveal magic. He wasn't supposed to know about it until after he died.

"What is that? Is that some sort of pagan ritual? What are you?" he questioned harshly.

"Leo…please…it's not what you think," Melinda begged but it did no good. She desperately wanted to tell him everything. He stormed out and just as she ran out to follow him bombs started going off. Melinda hit the ground. Leo turned and saw Rick and Nathan coming. Panic began to set in. Suddenly Melinda felt woozy. She looked down to see a gaping wound in her stomach.

"Leo," she called out weakly. He didn't seem to hear her. He was trying to focus on his friends. She vaguely heard him ask if there was a medic in the field. She saw him running towards the action, carrying a medial kit. She tried to crawl towards him. She needed to get away from where she was. If she didn't then there would be no way she would survive. Weakly she made her way away from the medical set up. She closed her eyes and astral projected as close to Leo as she could.

"Leo…please…help me," she begged. Was bandaging a soldier's head wound when he turned to see astral Melinda. She was growing weaker every minute and just as Leo was about to go towards her she vanished. It was then that the medical station burst into flame and Leo was hit with a shell. Melinda lay on the ground, shivering as death set in.

In the future, Chris collapsed in the kitchen, clutching his stomach. The sound drew Piper and Leo. Piper cradled her son's head in her lap.

"What is it?" she begged.

"Melinda…ah…she's hurt…really badly…" Chris rasped.

"Oh god…no," Piper gasped, starting to hyperventilate. Leo suddenly felt like he knew what was going on. He remember ascending over his body and into the bright light of heaven.

"Piper…she's going to be ok," he breathed.

"How…how do you know?" she shot at him.

"Because…I'm going to save her," he answered, stroking her hair.

"Hang in there, son," he addressed Chris, squeezing his shoulder.

Back in the past Leo was floating above his body for a moment before he was surrounded by bright white lights. There white hooded figures all around him. One approached him and pulled his hood down. A young looking Gideon approached Leo.

"Where am I?" Leo asked, confused.

"You are in heaven my dear boy. Welcome," Gideon greeted him.

"I'm dead," Leo murmured.

"Yes…but you have the chance to do great things, serve the Greater Good, save more lives. We are offering you the chance of immortality to become a whitelighter, a guardian angel for witches," Gideon explained.

"A what?" Leo asked. This was so confusing.

"A whitelighter. You need to make your choice, Leo. Your friend, Melinda won't survive much longer," Gideon commented.

"Melinda…oh God. I need to save her. She saved me," Leo babbled. Gideon passed his hand over Leo and the younger man glowed brightly.

"Come…we must hurry," Gideon murmured, taking Leo by the arm. They disappeared in orbs. Melinda was shaking violently now. Leo and Gideon appeared. He looked around.

"No one can see you…except for her," he explained.

"Dad…" Melinda gasped. She was starting to lose it. Leo looked confused.

"Place your hands over her stomach," Gideon instructed. Leo bent over her and did as he was told. Slowly a golden light radiated from his hands and the wound in her stomach knit back together and she sat up, coughing violently.

"Thank God you're alive," Leo breathed. She looked at him with a grin.

"Not to sound mean but thank God you're dead," she murmured. Leo laughed a little and turned to Gideon.

"Is she a….witch?" he asked of the older man.

"Yes…I'm a witch. I guess now is as a good time as any to tell you….I'm not really from this time. I'm from very far in the future. I cam back to make sure you survived long enough to die the way you were supposed to," Melinda explained hastily. Getting up and heading back towards the tent. Leo and Gideon followed her. She heaved a sigh of relief that the triquetra was still there.

"Thank you for saving me. My family will be grateful," she said, giving Leo a quick hug. She didn't look at Gideon. She knew what he would become. But that was not for another sixty years. She reached into her pants pocket and pulled out the spell.

"Hear these words, hear the rhyme. Heed the hope within my mind. Bring me forward to where I wish in place and time," she recited. The tent wall turned into a swirling vortex. Leo looked scared and grabbed her arm.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" he asked. She gave him a smile.

"Yes, Daddy," she whispered in his ear. He looked shocked and stepped back to look at her once more before she disappeared. She reappeared in the attic and bolted down the stairs. Chris was leaning against the fridge, slowly drinking water. Piper and Leo were the first to stop their daughter.

"Thank God," Piper gasped and pulled her daughter into her arms.

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you the truth before, Mom," Melinda apologized.

"It's ok. You're safe. That's all that matters," Piper breathed.

"I told you I'd save her," Leo told his wife and son.

"I love you, Daddy," she said, jumping into his arms.

"I love you too," he whispered.


End file.
